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Let’s be honest, Leicester City are in a pretty bad way right now. After another frustrating loss to Manchester United, the Foxes have taken just one point from the last four league games following on from the embarrassing loss at Newport. They really can’t afford for this run to go on, even with a difficult game away to Tottenham Hotspur coming up.
We’ve broken down some of the key areas and individual match ups that could decide the outcome.
1. Own the six yard box
It might not surprise anyone to learn that Spurs are one of the most effective teams in the league at creating and preventing chances within the six yard box. It might surprise you, however, that Leicester are also in the top five for both categories.
The Foxes still take an alarming % of shots from outside the box, though, so it’s imperative that they continue to create these chances, and hopefully score one of them this time.
2. All eyes on Son
Spurs boast an impressive array of creative talents; so many that to close them down and cut off the source is simply not feasible. Instead, with Harry Kane missing, the Foxes should focus on Spurs’ new primary goalscoring threat, Son Heung-Min.
Son Heung-Min has had a hand in five goals in his last two Premier League starts against Leicester, scoring three and assisting two. pic.twitter.com/294G955Y39
— Spurs Stat Man (@SpursStatMan) February 9, 2019
The South Korean international’s movement is so clever (and really really fast) that keeping track of him will never be a one-man job. Instead the whole backline will have to be at their sharpest as a unit to keep him out.
3. Play from the whistle. Please.
Not really a tactical thing. Or, if it is, I really don’t get what they’re trying to do. Leicester City’s -10 goal difference in the opening 15 minutes of games is very comfortably the worst in the league. For the following 75 minutes, they’re at +9, which would be the 7th best in the league (and eight goals ahead of 8th).
We’re playing some really good football at times, we just don’t kick off until the referee blows for the first goal. Slightly maddening. Spurs have been much more consistent across the 90 minutes, but by xG they’ve been notably stronger in the 2nd half. Much like last week, if we fall behind there may be no coming back.